Minister of Land and Legal Affairs, Saddam Hosein, said Cabinet has approved the removal of oversight by the County Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) from the construction planning permit process to reduce bureaucratic delays.
Minister Hosein shared details at Thursday’s Post-Cabinet Media Briefing, explaining that the decision is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of the construction permitting system, particularly for those seeking approvals for residential and commercial projects.
“I would tell you one of my experiences as Minister, when we were dealing with the Caroni 1975 residential lot distribution, I had all of those agencies in a room with me and the CMOH was there, which happens to be a medical doctor. And they’re telling me that a medical doctor must give us advice on civil engineering. A medical doctor is telling you how to build your house. That is why we are saying that we have to modernise the system now, because that 1917 Ordinance is totally outdated. In fact, I’m told that in one Regional Corporation that they failed a plan based on ventilation blocks. I don’t know if people still use ventilation blocks when they’re building modern homes and so on, but they failed a plan just because the person did not have ventilation blocks and everything else was in order. And to get that out of there will take them another eight months, because when they query a plan with defects and so on, it has to be resubmitted before you can move on for your final approval.”
According to Minister Hosein, the the move also aims to eliminate duplication, as several government agencies already perform similar regulatory functions. These include the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), the Drainage Division, Regional Corporations, and Public Health Inspectors.
“This Public Health Ordinance is an overarching piece of law, outdated, and together with its associated regulations and so on, we as a government realise that there have been a lot of duplication and outdated ways in which planning permissions are granted. Given the government’s aim for development through its revitalisation plan, the accelerated housing project by the HDC, and now the housing project that is being conducted by Landmark TT through the Ministry of Land and Legal Affairs, we need a more robust and expeditious system in order for approvals.”
He added that legislative changes are required to formalise the decision, and the Attorney General has already been instructed to draft the necessary amendments. The reforms will also remove the requirement for the Minister of Health approval for undersized lots, defined as parcels under 5,000 square feet.